Wanna be part of something positive -- not political, however?

[OneGrassRoot]

"You see things that are and ask why. I dream things that never were and ask why not."

~ from Back to Methuselah (the Serpent), by George Bernard Shaw






Does the following mission statement appeal to you in any way?

WISHADOO!'S MISSION:

WISHADOO! is a social visionary enterprise committed to and imbued with the core values of integrity, respect, and compassion, providing a foundation to 1) connect people who share these values; 2) foster innovation and creativity inspired by these values; 3) initiate and support efforts focused on the creation of compassionate, cooperative communities; and 4) Stand For|Work Toward|Move Forward with positive action.

Wishadoo is about Moving Forward -- focused on the positive, only using the negatives to provide contrast, helping us see what we DON'T choose to experience any longer. This allows us to give our energy and attention to what we DO choose to change and (re)create.

If this vision appeals to you, grab a cup of coffee or tea this Sunday morning or whatever is your pleasure, and read on. Please considering joining me, helping to create this experience called Wishadoo!

:)

This will evolve -- online and in the "real" world -- as the community itself chooses. Read more about the Wishadoo! Vision. For now, my goal is to simply lay a strong foundation from which myriad ideas and visions can spring forth. It's what I've been workong on for several years.

A very basic (though I feel limiting) description of Wishadoo! is: A website with tools to foster authentic community in myriad ways, online and in our local communities. (Added to try to provide clarity about Wishadoo!)

Below are ways for you to get involved now if this appeals to you (and/or maybe you can recommend to others who you feel would resonate with Wishadoo!). I'd love for as many DUers as possible to come on board as Founding Members. :)


-- GROUPS: Create a group for 1) your state/country and be an ambassador to gather others with this focused intent; 2) your workplace, school, faith-based, neighborhood or other group, online and/or offline; 3) a project you’ve already started or want to start in your community that supports our Evolution of Compassion; 4) discussion and ACTION about issues and working toward common goals. Wishadoo! Groups have their own discussion forum, events feature and more.

* Consider being a Group Ambassador for your state. If you have other Groups you'd like to form, let me know. I'm reaching out to existing groups and organizations doing wonderful work in their communities, to offer Wishadoo!'s tools to help further their own missions.


-- COMMUNITY DIRECTORY: (coming soon) Listing of businesses and organizations dedicated to the Wishadoo! Vision. It's like "The Green Pages" but for those dedicated to creating and supporting compassionate, cooperative communities. This includes being socially and environmentally responsible, of course.

* Make a list of local, regional or national businesses you feel should be part of such a Compassionate Community Directory. Let me know, or we could even start a forum thread (at Wishadoo!) or Group to focus on this.


-- WISHADOO'S BLOGS FOR GOOD: A grassroots blog network (perhaps an alternative to HuffPo?) covering many subjects with the Wishadoo! focus: STAND FOR|WORK TOWARD|MOVE FORWARD creating cooperative, compassionate communities now. (coming soon!)

The beauty of Wishadoo! is that all tools and features of the site work together. A featured blogger who has a focus on politics or the economy or the environment or health or art or everyday inspiration can stimulate ongoing discussion in an applicable Wishadoo! Group. This Group's goal is not only to discuss, but to TAKE ACTION about whatever is identified by Group Members as actionable. Positive Action. Standing For what we want to experience, not merely fighting against what exists. Discussion is wonderful, but Wishadoo! is about DOING as well.

The Wishlist, Community Directory and/or Resource Wiki are all helpful tools to further action.

Please also know that my hope is to establish many of these Wishadoo! Initiatives, such as Blogs for Good, with a true co-op structure. The United Nations has designated 2012 as "International Year of the Co-op," so my passion for co-ops is something I will be strongly focused on. Member-owned and worker-owned co-ops, benefiting as many people as possible who want to be involved.

* Do you blog, or want to blog, about issues affecting us locally, nationally and/or globally? Do you have information or insights or a unique perspective to share to which would help us have a more informed, compassionate, productive, healthy populace? If you do, contact me. (If you have written a book, or want to, know that Books for Good shall follow on the heels of Blogs for Good.)


-- RESOURCE WIKI: (coming soon) There is merely a mockup there at this point. I could really use help with this. I would appreciate having a handful of people who gather resource information for a multitude of categories, and who act as contacts for others to share resources they feel should be added to the wiki. Not sure if it should be a public wiki in that anyone and everyone can add to it; perhaps a small group of people to start off with, who can steer this wiki in the right direction, is the way to start.


-- MARKETPLACE: I'm thinking of creating an online marketplace, with auction, where members can offer their goods as a way of helping to raise funds for Wishlist posts and others in the Wishadoo! Community, such as organizations that may join.

I've been contacted by one of the pioneering (if not THE pioneer) co-ops in the Fair Trade arena, as they have an interest in working together to promote their fundraising products and educational programs. There are so many exciting ways to reach out and share our creations and passions, with integrity, supporting The Common Good in the process.

There is a lot to brainstorm about here. Thoughts?

* For creative types (artists, painters, photographers, poets), there is an e-card feature at Wishadoo! that needs developed. If you'd like to share your work to be part of an e-card selection, please contact me!



For those not familiar with Wishadoo!, here are two more key areas to check out on a daily basis:


-- GOOD NEWS: Daily feeds of good news from around the world (as well as BBC latest news, albeit not often "good" news)

-- WISHLIST: Give, receive, and pay it forward; it's been called "a craigslist of compassion."



If you'd like to participate in Wishadoo! in any way -- including simply joining for now -- that would be wonderful! If you are technically inclined and want to help, YOU WOULD BE A SAVIOR. If you have ideas of how to spread the word about Wishadoo!, I'm all ears, especially if you are active Facebook and Twitter peeps. (Press releases, downloadable flyers, banners to share...all are coming) :)


If this vision of Wishadoo! appeals to you and you are able to support it financially, I'd be more grateful than I can convey in words. If, however, you are like most of us who are struggling to literally keep a roof over our heads and food on the table -- or facing even more dire struggles -- please don't think twice about trying to help. Instead, I hope joining Wishadoo! can help you in some way.

For those who are able, I'm having a special fundraiser for Wishadoo! itself (NOT associated with any Wishadoo! members' fundraisers). I have legal/contractual obligations due in June; that's what this fundraiser is all about: SPECIAL FUNDRAISER HERE.


As always, thanks for reading. :hi:

:grouphug:


"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit". ~ Helen Keller

[niyad]

1. k and r for something positive and uplifting

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Thanks. Positive things don't get much traction here....

and I can already tell people are ready to kick my ass for posting it.

I thought about creating an angry, profanity-laced subject line just to get attention (as I truly enjoy profanity, personally). :rofl:

:shrug:

[Shagbark Hickory]

2. So many words yet I'm still scratching my head.

PErhaps a demo slideshow would help people better understand what wishadoo is?

[OneGrassRoot]

4. Reeeeally?

:(

I'm sorry. Since I've been living, eating and breathing this for years, I realize what is so clear to me isn't to others.

Yet it's really hard to explain something that doesn't yet exist. That's a big part of my dilemma. Wishadoo! is really a new way of doing things and encompasses so many different ways TO do things.

I often feel that trying to label it or define it ends up limiting it in some way. I'm sincere when I say that it's just the foundation; everyone else can use it and help it evolve as the Wishadoo! Community sees fit.

It's a website with tools to foster authentic community in myriad ways, online and in our local communities.

Any specific questions I can answer?


:)

[Shagbark Hickory]

7. Well...

There's a couple of sites that it reminds me of.
:web: See Click Fix
:web: Meetup

So my specific question would be what exactly is it?

This kind of demonstration could help explain.... http://seeclickfix.com/how_seeclickfix_works

[OneGrassRoot]

8. It's interesting that it reminds you of those two...

I LOVE ClickFix, and can see Wishadoo! Groups working witt their online platform to focus on fixing things in local communities.

There are elements of both ClickFix and Meetup in Wishadoo!, just as there are elements of craigslist and many non-profit organizations.

I see Wishadoo! working with many existing websites and organizations.

I'll see what I can do as far as creating a video demonstration. Thanks much. :)

[OneGrassRoot]

11. COMPASSION. That's a huge defining element of Wishadoo!

:)

Many projects inevitably involve actions that are compassionate, but Wishadoo! is here to shout that word from the rooftops and claim it as a GOOD THING.

Conservatives have dissed words like compassion, empathy, and cooperation over the last two decades. It's that very description of Wishadoo! which led Glenn Beck to mention it and ridicule it -- and insinuate that it's part of some socialist/Nazi/fascist/communist plot.

Wishadoo! has heart, and I make no apologies for wanting to tap into people's hearts and better angels of their nature. Unlike amazing projects like ClickFix and Meetup and others, Wishadoo! is All About Compassion, and creating new ways of manifesting compassion and authentic community in our lives.

This is a bit too touchy-feely for many here, and I understand that. Many won't resonate with Wishadoo! and that's perfectly okay. And it most certainly wouldn't mean that they aren't compassionate. :)

Those who connect with Wishadoo! tend to wholeheartedly embrace compassion -- being vocal about it, DOING it, encouraging it in others. Using that word and similar words without any sense of discomfort.

Like I said, there are many grassroots organizations doing compassionate things without labeling as such.

Wishadoo! is bringing attention to the word and its meaning, creating new ways of embodying compassion and putting it into action.

Wishadoo! aims to make compassion, empathy and similar qualities cool -- and doable.

Thanks for encouraging me to define the differences between Wishadoo! and other efforts.

:hi:

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. The name kinda makes me think its a charity. Like make-a-wish.

I guess that can be a good thing.

Doesn't have to be a video demonstration.
A clear and concise set of graphics would do.
So would a "how to get started" tutorial that prompts visitors to register.

[OneGrassRoot]

14. On the home page there is a START HERE link

It's found several other places on the site as well, and when people sign up they are taken to the START HERE page.

It can always be better, and I'll keep working on it. I'm dancing as fast as I can, doing it all myself thus far.

It may become a non-profit down the road. Because I am most interested in creating co-ops, the non-profit structure (in NC, at least) is very restrictive in allowing the creation of co-ops.

From the site:

"At this time Wishadoo! is not a 501(c)(3), so any support is not tax deductible. We will let the community decide how the structure of Wishadoo! evolves. Wishadoo! was recently organized as an L3C in North Carolina, laying the groundwork to create this as a member-owned cooperative venture. The L3C entity is a new legal entity -- a hybrid of nonprofit and for-profit -- with the social mission being the primary goal of the organization."

:)

[ananda]

3. Correction of GBS quote and attribution to RFK.

First, at RFK's funeral, his brother Ted Kennedy quoted Shaw's
Back to Methuselah. RFK never made that quote. Here it is:

In George Bernard Shaw's play *Back to Methuselah* the Serpent says:

"You see things that are and ask why. I dream things that never were and ask why not."

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Corrected. Thank you. :) n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

10. You got the quote right...

And I kick for the GBS.

[tavalon]

9. Bless you!

I had forgotten about wishadoo. Bookmarked.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. ...

:hi:

:hug:

[OneGrassRoot]

15. kick for Monday morning DUers who didn't see this. :) n/t